Test of Loyalty
by Sorafi Lynn Mioto
Summary: Cenere della Fenice has it all: the ideal lifestyle, a perfect wife, and great friends. When he is sent to assassinate a Templar, his views on his lifestyle and that of those arounf him changes. Will he change his life to protect the ones he loves?
1. This is probably going to be useful

**Author's Note: This page is not only the disclaimer page, but also gives information on OC's I have gotten permission to use for this story. The creator's username will be listed above their respective characters. I own my OCs, the storyline in the story, and the storyline in the forum The Broken Creed (which is where these characters are used). I do not own any OC of another person. Assassin's Creed is a trademark of Ubisoft.**

_Summary: Cenere della Fenice has it all: the ideal lifestyle, the perfect wife, and the greatest friends. When he is sent to assassinate a Templar, his views on his lifestyle and on the lives of those around him changes. Will he give up his way of life just to protect those he loves around him? Assassin's Creed fanfic, based somewhat on my RP The Broken Creed._

**Sorafi Lynn Mioto (aka myself)'s characters**

Name: Eagle Ali-Bako Rayne

Gender: Female

Age: 20 in this story, 17 in the RP

Height: 5' 10"

Weight: 170

Eye Color: hazel

Hair color: brown, pulled into ponytail

Birthplace: Masyaf

Faction: assassin

Preferred Weapon(s): hidden blade, broadsword

Loyal to whom: Altair (master), other "Brothers" and "Sisters", friends, family

Likes: Rain, eagles, the color blue, the ocean, small towns, kittens, horses, puppies, children

Dislikes: Large crowds, templars, the colors pink and purple, pushy people, throwing knives

History: Eagle was born to an assassin father and a civilian mother. Her father was killed as a result of the assassin massacres on the road. When Eagle was 10, her mother committed suicide as a result of this. She jumped off of a cliff into the water. She drowned, and, because of this, Eagle taught herself how to swim. She was living with Master Altair until she turned 16, when she was able to take the assassin "classes" and she passed with flying colors.

Other: has pierced ears, the broadsword was a sword passed down from generation to generation in her family.

Name: Cenere della Fenice de Russo (First name is translated into Ash of the Phoenix. Prefers to be called Fenice)

Gender: Male

Age: 21 in this story, 18 in the RP

Height: 5' 11"

Weight: 190 lbs

Eye Color: gold but appears brown to some people.

Hair color: dusty blonde that is shoulder length

Birthplace: Acre

Faction: Assassin

Preferred Weapon(s): his brother's hidden blade, short blade

Loyal to whom: Other Assassins, his family, extremely loyal to the Creed, Gabriella

Likes: clouds, the dark, assassins, watching fights

Dislikes: pushy people, being lonely, insults, being ripped off.

History: Fenice was born in Acre to Italian parents while his family was on vacation. After his birth, his parents decided to settle down in Acre permenantly. His older brother, Rey Leon (It's Spanish for King Lion. He goes by Leo) was ten years old. When Fenice was eight, Leo adventured off to join the Assassins. He passed the final exams and came back to Acre, bearing the news. However, when Fenice was twelve, on his way back to Masyaf, Leo was killed from the assassin murderings. Fenice was devastated. He met Eagle in the Teutonic Knight's cell block and, when he found out she was an assassin, followed her back to Masyaf and joined.

Other: Wears a gold chain with a cross on it his brother gave to him. Has his left ear pierced

**nekozawa11's character**

Name: Gabriella Kalb de Russo

Gender: Female

Age: 20

Height: 5' 9"

Weight: 120

Eye Color: Seafoam Green

Hair color: Dirty blonde/almost brown

Birthplace: Somewhere in present day Romania _**(However, she is from 1191 AD)**_

Faction: Assassin

Preferred Weapon(s): Short blade and throwing knife, a long sword she doesn't use much and a hidden blade.

Loyal to whom: Malik, Fenice

Likes: Reading and writing, messing with others who wander into the Bueruo, and being all over helpful.

Dislikes: Her family's job, the fact that she is now participating in it, and of course those Templar Knights.

History: Gabriella is from the area that is now present day Romania, but can speak English and Arabic. She comes from a long line of assassin supporters who, in her homeland, aide the assassins in their missions but misleading Templar knights into traps set by the assassins. She, however, doesn't condone this behavior, but is forced to at upon her unused training in conning people. This happens when she and her family are fleeing south to Damascus and is forced to be separated from the rest of them and stumbles into Maysaf when she was 17. When she arrives, she is believed to be a Templar and is forced to pretend to be her brother, Caine. By doing so, she is allowed to live so long as she doesn't go back to her home, not that she really can anyways. This all happens before the Solomon's incident. After wards she goes with Malik to Jersaleum.

Other: Really a girl, but pretends to be a boy. Kind of clumsy.


	2. Chapter 1

"Nothing is true; everything is permitted."

In the great scheme of things, life isn't as great as people expect. Take a look at myself for an instance: I'm 21, happily married, and have the greatest friends. I THOUGHT I had the perfect life, until two events happened. One was I lost my brother, Rey Leon, when my wife's ex-fiancé killed him.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cenere della Fenice de Russo. I am an assassin. I am happily married to Gabriella Kalb de Russo, and not once do I regret the actions that lead me to that point. However, my views on my lifestyle changed, and this is how it all began.

It was a bright morning in Masyaf, and I immediately wished it wasn't when I opened my eyes. I immediately noticed Gabriella wasn't in bed. I couldn't feel her back against mine. I sat up, the blanket falling off of me, exposing my bare chest. I looked around and noticed her assassin robes and gear were still in their respective places. Thinking she was at breakfast, I grabbed my shirt and slipped it on as I made my way towards the stairs. I grabbed my boots, the same exact boots that is issued with the Assassins' robes, and half hopped down the stairs, pulling them onto my feet as I went.

People casually waved to me as I meandered my way towards the dining hall. I would wave back, and there were even a few assassins that must have been new, because they stopped me and asked me where such and such a place was. I would point them in the right direction and watch as they attempted to follow my directions.

"Fenice!"

I turned around to find another assassin, named Eagle, casually walking my way. She hardly ever wandered the Bureau with her hood down, but it surprised me to see that she didn't have it on. Her dark brown hair, which was often pulled back into a ponytail, was loose and fell just past her shoulder-blades. I squinted my eyes, due to how the sun was hitting her gold stud earrings. She stopped in front of me and asked, "What'cha doin'?"

Lemme tell you something about Eagle: she is one of the most hyper, and loudest, assassins I have ever met. She gets overexcited easily, but takes her job as an assassin VERY seriously. When we found out Gabriella's ex was the one who murdered her father, which is the reason why her mother threw herself off of the cliff into the lake, Eagle went ballistic. If it wasn't for the fact that Master Altair was in the way, she would have killed Gabriella's ex.

"Hey, have you seen Gabri?" I asked.

Eagle nodded, her hazel eyes not leaving their gaze. "Aye. She's in the dining hall."

"Thanks." I replied before walking towards the dining hall.

"By the way, has she gained weight?" Eagle asked, half yelling after me, "She looks a little big in the middle."

This was news to me. "Not that I know of, but I'll ask her." I replied.

Eagle shrugged as I turned back around and walked down the hall. As I came upon the dining hall, I scanned the crowd trying to find Gabriella. When I finally DID find her, she was sitting at a table that was being shared with another female assassin. They were the only ones there. I grinned and walked over there.

"Morning!" I announced just before giving Gabriella a quick kiss.

"Morning." Gabriella replied, her tone not as enthusiastic as mine. She turned to the assassin next to her and said, "I'll talk to you later."

"No problem, Gabriella." The assassin replied.

Confused, I watched as the assassin stood up and walked away. "What was that about?" I asked, my voice in a near whisper.

Gabriella took my hand in hers. "Listen, Fenice, there's something I need to tell you."

"If it doesn't have anything to do with me, I don't think I need to hear it." I replied, smiling.

Gabriella chuckled. "It's got everything to do with you."

"Well then, what is it?"

Gabriella's smile faded. She had a more serious tone to her face as she explained, "Look, I don't know how I'm going to tell you this, so I'm just going to come right out and say it."

"Say what?" I was confused, worried, and nervous all at the same time.

"Fenice, I'm…."

"Fenice, Master Altair wants to see you."

"Dammit…" I hissed. I looked at Gabriella, who looked somewhat relieved, and asked, "Can you hold that thought until after I see what Master Altair wants?"

"I'll just meet you in our room. I need to write to Caine." Gabriella replied, standing up. She DID look a little heavy in the middle.

"Okay." I replied, also standing up. I looked at the assassin behind me and said, "Tell Master Altair I'm on my way."

The assassin nodded and took off in a brisk run. I kissed Gabriella's forehead before I turned around and headed out of the dining hall, taking my concerns about Gabriella with me.

**Author's Note: And there's Chapter 1! YAY! Please review, as I like a good review. Now, I would personally like to thank nekozawa11 for allowing me to use her character, Gabriella, and adding this story to her favorites, and both she and Lady Madbeth for reviewing the first chapter, even if it was just info on the characters and a disclaimer page. You guys rock!**


	3. Chapter 2

Bang. Bang. Bang.

"Enter." Master Altair's husky voice called out. He sounded somewhat strained, like he was tired.

I opened the door and slowly entered, making sure that I didn't knock over a chair or two in the process. "You wanted to see me?" I asked, shutting the door behind me.

Master Altair looked up at me. "Ah, Fenice. You caught me at a bad time."

"I can come back later if it'll be more convenient, Master."

"It's not a problem. Sit down. I need to talk to you about something."

I sat down in a large, wooden chair. Master Altair looked down at something on his desk then looked back at me. "Fenice, I have received word from Jerusalem that there's a Templar that needs disposing of."

"You want me to go on a mission?" I asked, uncertain.

"Yes. Yes I do." Master Altair replied, standing up. He put his hands behind his back and started to pace around his study. "My understanding is that this Templar is regarded as one of THE highest officials in the city. He's been declaring people guilty of treason and hanging them, two of our own assassins being amongst them. I need someone to go and make sure e is dealt away with in one of the quietest matters possible. Seeming as you've become quite the assassin since you joined the Brotherhood, I want you to do it."

"Alone?"

"You're more than capable of this. I don't think you'll need your wife to guide you." Master Altair stopped pacing and glared at me. "You are the younger brother of the late Rey Leon de Russo, are you not?"

"Yes, but…"

"No buts." Master Altair barked, "You took what he taught you and applied it to just about everything. Take the incident with Daniel, for instance."

_Here we go again. _I thought.

"You waited for the right time to strike. You knew the time was appropriate when Eagle yelled for him to rot in hell. Do you not realize just what life you saved when you killed him?"

"I was looking out for Gabriella. She was scared, for lack of a better term, shitless because he would have killed her if you gave him the chance!" I replied, half rising out of my seat.

"You WILL go to Jerusalem, Cenere della Fenice, and you WILL perform the assassination. End of discussion." Master Altair commanded.

I instantly shut up. When someone uses my full first name, I know I need to keep my mouth shut and listen.

"Do you understand what you are going to do?" Master Altair asked.

"Yes Master." I replied with a sigh. I stood up and asked, "May I be excused?"

"Very well. Go gather your things and explain to Gabriella what's going on. You are to leave by sundown today. Keep in mind, the Templar's name is Lambardi Ahad." Master Altair replied.

Dammit. I was going to need longer than THAT to explain to Gabriella AND gather my supplies. Pissed off to no end, I stormed out of Master Altair's study and slammed the door.

"Fenice, what's wrong?" Gabriella asked as I stormed up the stairs.

I stormed over to the dresser and pulled out my cloth sack. "I've been assigned to a mission. I must leave by sundown today. Master Altair told me so."

"He CAN'T send you out. I thought I told him I needed you around right now!" Gabriella replied, her tone somewhat angry. She put her quill down and blew on her letter to her brother before adding, "I thought I told him not to send you out!"

"Okay, now what's going on?" I asked, confused, "Why?"

"Fenice, do you realize how I am going to explain this!? It's not as easy as it seems." She replied, pacing around the room.

I stuck a change of clothes into my supply bag. As I started shoving gold coins into the bag, I asked, "Explain what?"

"Fenice, I'm pregnant!"

Silence. I felt my bag of supplies drop from my hand. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me." Gabriella replied, her voice in a near whisper.

I felt my jaw drop. I reached down, picked up my bag, and faced Gabriella. "Since when?"

"I'm not sure." Gabriella replied, "But I have to take a leave of absence from the Brotherhood until the baby is either old enough to train or until you find the time to stay here for a while after I've recovered from delivery."

I had to do everything I could to keep myself from collapsing. There were many thoughts running through my head, but there was one question that I knew I couldn't answer. _How can I raise a kid when I act just like a kid myself?_


	4. Chapter 3

A week and a half. That's how long it took for me to get to Jerusalem. That's how long I spent worrying about Gabriella, and the worry wouldn't end there. However, I knew I had to leave my worries behind when I reached the Bureau. I could not afford to let something like this keep me from fulfilling my duty as an assassin, a husband, and a future father. I didn't even bother trying to blend: my worried expressions would have given me away, which is something Gabriella AND my brother Leon advised against. The guards just kinda moved aside when I walked towards them. I even heard one of them say that they knew when someone was in a hurry or worried about something when they do not even look at you, and had advised his comrades that they ought to move out of my way. Not only that, but I had to worry about this Lambardi Ahad person. Who the hell was he?

When it seemed like hours, I had finally reached the Bureau. I half-heartedly climbed down the wall and into the Bureau, just wanting to collapse on one of the mats and think…that is, if Malik hadn't gotten in the way.

Malik is the Bureau leader in Jerusalem. He's missing an arm, and often curses about Master Altair under his breath. The one time I asked if he had a sibling, he looked like he would either slap me or bust down crying, so I never brought it up again. He did find my stories about Leon and me growing up interesting, and often comments on them.

"Fenice? Is that you?" Malik's voice called out.

"Si." I replied, half groaning.

Malik poked his head from the other side of the wall. "So, are you ready to being your mission?" He asked as I collapsed on a mat and buried my face in my hands. He watched this and asked, "What's wrong, Fenice?"

"Do I need to explain?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yes."

I glanced up at Malik. He looked confused, like he had no idea what was going on. "You don't know, don't you?"

"About what?"

"Gabriella didn't tell you?" I asked, surprised. Malik was like a second father to Gabriella, so it surprised me that he didn't know about her situation.

"For the last time, Fenice, about what!?" Malik asked, a tone of arrogance in his voice.

"Gabriella's pregnant." I replied, slumping and hiding my head in my hands again.

"That's great!" Malik exclaimed cheerfully. I heard him walk over to me and sit down next to me. I felt his hand hit my back multiple times as he asked, "What is it? Boy or girl?"

"I don't know."

"How far along is she?"

"I don't know."

"What do you plan on…?"

I interrupted Malik, rather rudely. "I don't know Malik! I found out just before I left Masyaf!" I shouted, looking up at him.

Malik stood up, looking rather offended. "My apologies, Malik, I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright Fenice. You're irritated with Altair, and I don't think you wanted to leave Gabriella behind in her current state." Malik replied. He walked over to a set of shelves and asked, "Are you ready to begin your mission?"

"It's now or never." I sighed, standing up and following Malik.

"I'd suggest you start in the Rich District." Malik explained, going through the normal routine, "And if you find nothing there, look around the chapel."

"Very well." I muttered.

With that under my belt, I climbed out of the Bureau, eager to begin my mission.


	5. Chapter 4

Four hours. That's how much time I spent gathering information. That's how much time I spent clearing my mind of anything that could backfire on me and make me fail. And, as a result of that time, I got the all clear to proceed with the assassination.

I looked at the map in my hands and found my position and found Lambardi's house. It wasn't very far away, so I could make it by travelling the streets, which shouldn't pose as a problem. The sun was barely starting to set, so I could get inside without much of a problem.

As I started walking, I skimmed over the letter I had pickpocketed from someone. It stated that there was a nursery in Lambardi's home, and the window was always kept open so his wife could get a sense of the fresh air.

"Great." I muttered, my thoughts reflecting back to Gabriella.

My mind was swimming with questions as I walked, even though I tried my hardest to push them out. I wondered how Gabriella was feeling, even though I sent her a letter after Malik cleared me to pursue my target. I wondered if she was getting the care she probably needed, and, this last thought scared me, what I was going to be like as a father.

As I approached the house, I swallowed my doubts and scanned the building. The second story had an open window, so I assumed that was the nursery. I gritted my teeth and took off twards it, reaching anything that would serve as a foothold.

Within minutes, I was in. The room was covered in lots of pink. There was a crib, a flat table, and a few other things. I ignored it all and started searching the house.

"Who...who are you?" A voice asked as I entered the kitchen.

I froze. I had completely forgot about the most important fact; Lambardi had a wife. I stood upright and faced the woman.

She appeared to be Gabriella's age, with blonde hair falling below her shoulderblades. Her baby blue eyes shimmered with fear. She was wearing a dress and was HUGE in the middle. I refused to say anything, except I glared at her. "You're not whom I'm looking for." I growled.

"Lambardi!" The woman screeched.

Fuck. That was the only thing going through my mind as I scrambled to find a hiding spot. As I heard a masculine voice reply, "What is it?!" I was hidden in what appeared to be a storage closet.

"There's a trespasser!"

"Where?"

"I think he's in one of the storage closets."

I held my breath as I heard footsteps. They seemed distant at first, then they started to come my way.

The storage closet was very dusty. I sneezed, and in an instant, the door flew open, and this massive man had me pinned to the floor, with his hand around my neck. His brown eyes danced with a fire that I was all but familiar with. His dark brown hair was cut in a buzz cut, something Leon had tried when I was younger. His breath was hot in my face.

"Who are you?" He growled, pulling a dagger out from nowhere.

"Your worst nightmare." I growled before I shoved him off of me.

A fight ensued. Lambardi's wife was screaming, and both of us ignored it. Finally, I was wore out, and Lambardi pined me to the floor. "I will not regret doing this, assassin, because I would do anything to protect my wife and unborne child."

I knew I would do the same thing. "Looks like we're in the same boat." I muttered.

Lambardi's eyes grew wide. "Wait, you're going to be a father?"

"Yes, which is why I'm doing this." I growled.

Lambardi hopped off of me quicker than a cat in water. As I stood up, noticing my hood had fallen in the struggle, Lambardi laughed. "You...a father!?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised myself." I muttered.

An idea popped into my head. I let Lambardi laugh for a few minutes, then felt my jaw drop as he fell to his knees. "In that case...do what you may."

"NO!"

Before I had time to react, Lambardi's wife threw herself in front of her husband. "Please!" She shouted, tears rolling down her face.

Now, what was I supposed to do? Here I was, at the best possible position I could be in, and my target's pregnant wife throws herself in front of him. I sighed and shook my head.

"You mean...?"

"Get out of the city. Out of the country." I mumbled as Lambardi stood up, helping his wife upp as well. "Consider yourselves lucky that I'm in the same boat as you are, Lambardi, and I would do what you just did for my wife."

Lambardi's wife ran up to me, tears of joy streaming down her face. She kissed me on both cheeks, something that I knew Gabriella would have a problem with, and cried, "Thank you! God bless you!"

"But be warned," I added, "That if you step foot back in this area again, I will hunt you down and kill you." I glard at Lambardi, "I will not show mercy next time."

"Understood." Lambardi replied, nodding his head once. He kissed his wife and took off towards one of the rooms.

The sun had long since gone down. I glanced at Lambardi's wife and said, "Stay safe. Keep him in line." before I took off out the window.

Little did I know that I would regret my actions later.

**Author's Note: Yay! I finally got it done! I hope you guys like twists in the story, because that's what this is! Who knew Fenice had a heart!**

**Anyways, please leave a review!**


	6. Chapter 5

I never felt so dirty in my entire life. Never before had I shown a target mercy, and it did not feel right. What else was I supposed to do? Kill him on the spot and leave his wife there, screaming about the death of her husband, when Gabriella would have acted the same way?

It's been a month since then, and my views on the world around me had changed. I saw my entire way of life as a sin. Killing people, just because they have different beliefs than I do, seemed wrong. Flat out WRONG. I realized that, every time someone was assassinated, a major tenant of the Creed was broken.

"Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent."

In a sense, I saw killing another Templar as killing an innocent person. Families torn apart because of MY actions. I saw it worse than the incident that lead me to shatter my right hand when I was eighteen.

I often found myself alone, either sitting on the beach at the lake, where Gabriella and I spent our nights before one of us went on a mission, or somewhere that not even Master Altair knew their locations.

Gabriella has, on the other hand, probably noticed something was wrong. If she did, then she didn't bring it up. And let me tell you, Gabriella's mood swings are something for even Master Altair to run from, and this Maria chick he's married to has given birth to a son already.

One night, though, whille Gabriella lay in bed, sleeping, I crawled out and walked downstairs and into the night. I wandered the streets for a while before I pounded against a tree and let out a cry of frustration.

I couldn't tell anyone of my deed. And the deed was eating me up on the inside, and hurting those who are close to me. I haven't been sleeping well, due to the fact that my conscience keeps pestering me. And when I did fall asleep, I'd wake up screaming, due to nightmares that reminded me so much of what could have happened.

"Fenice, there's something wrong with you." Eagle's familiar voice rang out.

I turned around and found myself face to face with Eagle. She had a dead serious look on her face, so something told me that, if Eagle noticed these changes, then Master Altair and Gabriella noticed as well.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You've...changed...since you killed Lambardi." Eagle explained, "You're often off on your own. And, during the night, you're often out here, not with Gabriella, and she needs you the most."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I lied, knowing I would regret it.

Eagle sighed. "Well, you're scaring me, Fenice. I would like to know why. You're not the same person Gabriella fell in love with, nor are you the same person I met in the Teutonic Knights' jail block in Acre."

"Well, the Brotherhood changes a person."

The expression on Eagle's face told me that she knew I was lying. She sighed irritably, threw her hands up in the air, and shouted, "I give up, Fenice! If I can't worm it out of you, I'll get someone who can."

I watched as Eagle stormed off. I knew I would regret not telling her, but it wasn't any of her business whether I was alright or not. All I knew was, someday, things were going to change for the Brotherhood, and I had to worry about the upcoming baby I would have to help raise.

**Author's Note: I apologize for the short chapter, but I'll make it up to you! I promise!**

**So we get a sneak peek of the hell Fenice's mind is going through. It affects those around him, in a negative connotation. And with Gabriella pregnant, the LAST thing she needs is stress, which is what will wind up happening if Fenice keeps up.**

**Review please!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I wanna thank nekozawa11 for writing this chapter for me! I didn't change a thing with it, except a few spelling and grammatcal errors, but otherwise, it's all the same! Enjoy!**

Two months had passed since I told Fenice I was expecting. Two months since he had left for Jerusalem on his first mission alone. And a month had passed since he had returned a changed man. In the three years we had been married, not once did I ever feel alone. But now…now I felt more alone than ever. No sooner would I find him and try to do all the things we loved to do together, he would up and leave to some secluded portion of the fortress or city. Surely he realized how much I needed him now. From what I had heard, it was not good for expectant mothers to fall into depression. They said the child was never quite right if that happened, and that was all I ever was anymore-depressed.

I would spend hours searching the grounds for Fenice, until fatigue would set in and I had to take a break on one of the many benches around the city. It was these times when I felt the most alone. Even when my dear friend Eagle came and sat with me, I still felt completely alone. I wore my emotions on my sleeve now, and it unnerved me, as many would often find me on the floor in one of the fortress' many halls, crying, when I couldn't find Fenice.

"Feeling better?" Eagle asked as she sat beside me on the bench, bringing me back to reality.

I shook my head, trying to hold back the tears I knew would come should I speak.

She gave me a hug, and then said, "I found Fenice. You need to go talk to him…something is…different…about him. Here," she stood and held her hand out to me, "I'll take you to him."

I took her hand, letting her help me up and we walked back up to the fortress. Eagle led me through the halls I knew so well until we reached the main library. We walked around the many high bookshelves in the room and to a far corner in the back of the room where Fenice sat. Fear and torment plagued his features. I wished to know what was bothering him so much. He didn't even seem to notice that we had approached, like he was deep in thought about something, and I hoped he wasn't thinking too hard about whatever it was that caused him to wake up screaming. I sat next to him and gently placed my hand on his shoulder. He responded to this, looking at me in surprise, then made to leave, but was stopped when Eagle pushed him back into the seat and glared at him.

"What?" Fenice asked, unbelievable confusion spread across his face, "What did I do?"

I bit my lip before I spoke when Fenice looked at me, "Why are you avoiding me?"

"What?! I'm not avoiding you!" he half shouted back.

"Ca dracu (Like hell)," I grumbled, "Why do you leave every time I wish to spend time with you?"

He stayed silent, and then looked away, not answering. Fenice shut his eyes and furrowed his brows, a harsh frown forming on his lips. I glared and frowned back at him, absolutely fuming.

"Care este problema ta (What's your problem?)" I growled threw gritted teeth.

He looked at me in shock, slightly afraid. For both our benefit, I rarely spoke in Romanian, using it primarily when I was angered. Fenice was speechless, now trying to find the right words to describe what was going on in his head, and why he was doing what he was doing. He opened his mouth and shut it numerous times before keeping it shut and hanging his head in shame, taking my left hand in both of his before looking me in the eyes.

"Gabriella, I-I've done something horrible…" he whispered and looked down again with an exasperated sigh.

Thoughts of the worst ran through my head and I felt the color drain from my face, "Fenice, what did you do?"

"I-I let my target live…I couldn't kill him…I-I just couldn't," he gave me a pleading look of understanding as I let out a relieved sigh.

"Asta e mai bine atunci de ce m-am gândit… (That's better then what I thought…)" I whispered, and then it struck me what problems this could cause, "De ce nu ai? (Why didn't you?)"

He went on to tell me of all that had happened on his mission in Jerusalem. How the Templar he was sent to kill and his wife were like a parallel version of us, how they reminded him of the love we shared. Fenice told me of how the couple was also expecting, then how Lambardi had surrendered to protect his pregnant wife. It was at that moment that he began to question what the assassins did and how the deaths we caused affected the families of those men.

"My conscience hasn't given me a moment's rest since then," he ended, not even looking at me now.

"Fenice," I whispered, a small smile touching my lips, "That was a good thing you did." I moved my hand up and gently stroked his arm.

Tears weld up in my eyes for no reason at all and not soon after, drenched my cheeks. I buried my face in my hands, trying to hide them from Fenice, but he and Eagle both saw. I could tell, even if I wasn't looking at them anymore that Fenice knelt down in front of me and wrapped me in a hug, while Eagle rubbed my back, both trying to calm me down.

"Shh," Fenice gently cooed, "Please don't cry love. What's wrong?"

"I-I don't know!" I cried into his shoulder.

After taking a few haggard breaths, I looked up. Behind Fenice, a few of our Brother and Sisters had gathered in a small group, trying to see what was the matter. Fenice looked frightened, and he gently placed his hand on my cheek, wiping away the tears with his thumb. I gave him a big smile, confusing myself, only to be startled by Fenice's own look of confusion. I leaned back in the chair and looked away shyly.

Fenice tilted my chin, so I looked at him, smiling, "You okay, love?"

"No," I answered softly, "I'm exhausted…and hungry."

He chuckled softly, and I furrowed my brow at him, glaring. When he noticed my look, he sank back into the chair with a sigh. My look softened and I smiled. Placing my hand on his knee I began rubbing it rhythmically, to which he looked back at me and smiled. Fenice stood and brought me to my feet.

"Let's go get food then," he said.

I smiled and nodded as we walked out of the library. I giggled to myself at how these mood swings were starting to confuse me more then what I wished for them to.


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Yay! This chapter's done! Please review!**

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Gabriella whispered in my ear.

I gulped nervously and nodded. "I have to tell him. It's either that or my conscience eats me alive from the inside out. I've already hurt you, and I don't want to hurt anyone else."

I was standing outside Master Altair's study, Gabriella standing right beside me. It's been a month since she confronted me about my changes, and I have been kicking myself in the ass ever since. I was hurting her in a way I wasn't even aware of, and yet, I promised I wouldn't. Gabriella was going to wait outside so that way, if things turned sour, she wouldn't get hurt if Master Altair went into one of his tirades.

I kissed Gabriella before I sighed, opened the door, and walked in.

"Fenice, what are you doing here?" Master Altair's husky voice asked.

I shut the door behind me and sighed. "Master, there's something I need to tell you." I announced, turning to him.  
"Oh?" He asked, not taking an eye off of his writing.

"It's about my latest mission."

Master Altair froze. He looked up at me and asked, "What is it about?"

"Well...Master...I don't know...where to begin...I..."

"Fenice, it might be a good idea for you to sit down. You're shaking like you committed a crime."

I sat down in a chair and closed my eyes. "In a sense, I did."

"I hope you didn't..."

My eyes shot open as I replied in a panicky voice, "I let Lambardi go, sir!"

Master Altair just glared at me. "What did you just say, boy?"

"I....I let Lambardi go, Master." I replied, my voice shaking, "He....he..."

Master Altair softened his glare. He sighed and muttered, "That's better than what I was expecting."

"I don't want to know, sir."

Master Altair sighed. "Well, start from the beginning. I want a good explaination for this, Fenice."

As I explained the events of the assasination, Master Altair listened, only interrupting to ask questions. When I got to the part about Lambardi's wife being pregnant, and how I realized they were exactly like Gabriella and I, Master Altair sighed. "Well, Fenice, there's only one thing I can do in a situation like yours." He spoke out after I had finished.

I slid down in the chair, like I wanted to hide underneath a rock.

"Well done."

I was confused. "Say what?" I asked, sitting straight up.

"You showed mercy. Most normal assassins would kill either the target or both, but you didn't. You told him to get out of the country, and for that, his wife deeply appreciated it. I can tell."

"Why?"

"You said she kissed your cheeks."

I blushed. "Well, I..."

Master Altair chuckled briefly, then asked, "So, you're in a tough situation, aren't you?"

"Yes sir." I muttered.

"Have you thought about leaving the Creed?"

I paused. "Yes sir."

"Does Gabriella know?"

"No sir."

Master Altair stood up and started pacing the room. "What have you decided?"

"Well, with Gabriella and I expecting our first child, what else can I do? I have to support my family."

"Aye, that you do." Master Altair replied.

"So, I decided I'll stay with the Creed, mainly because," I held up my left hand, with the ring finger missing, "This signals me out as different, a criminal, an outcast. I can't leave the Creed now, nor will I ever be able to. But, I want to add something." I sighed and added, "I don't want to go on a mission by myself. I don't want to have to be the one to kill the target. I don't want to see everyone suffer because of my actions."

"Then why stay in the Brotherhood?" Master Altair asked.

Ouch. Talk about a hypothetical question.

"If you don't want to see other people suffer, then why are you in the Creed?"

"Because I wanted to avenge the death of my brother."

"So, now that you did that, what are you going to do?"

I paused. "I...don't know, Master."

Master Altair stood up. "Well, why don't you think on it for a while, and then tell me when you've figured out what exactly you're going to do."

I nodded and stood up. As I turned my back towards the door, I looked at Master Altair and said, "Thank you, Master."

"For?"

"For giving me a second chance."


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: It's almost 11 at night here, and I'm not even tired! Yay!**

**Anyways, here's the next chapter! WOOT!**

Days. Weeks. Months.

It seemed like the time would never end. I lost track of the time that went by ever since I confronted Master Altair about my conscience. It's been who knows how long since then, and I still haven't thought of an answer to his question. Gabriella got bigger in the middle, which was something that I wasn't used to. I also had to be careful because Malik would check in whenever he was nearby.

Our moments lying under the stars have been put on hold. The added weight would not only suffocate Gabriella, but also the baby. Instead, we would sit under the stars in ways that Gabriella would be confortable in and put strain on her back. There would be a few moments where she would have a mood swing, but they weren't as frequent as what they were in the early stages. The greatest moment, however, was when I felt the baby kick. I remember pulling my hand off of Gabriella's stomach, just amazed about how something that was so small could have such a miraculous effect on a person.

That is, until the day came where our world would change.

I had to run an errand for Master Altair to Damascus, and I had left a while back. He needed me to deliver a package for him, and I accepted. If I had known what would have happened when I returned, I wouldn't have gone.

My muscles were sore. I had been sitting on my horse for what felt like ages, and I wanted to hit home, retire to the bed, and sleep for a week!

My hopes were high when I saw the gates to Masyaf. The sun was high in the sky and beat down against my neck. "So, nothing has happened during my absence? That's..."

"Fenice! You're back!?"

I looked at an assassin who was running towards me. He stopped in front of me, panting. "What's going on?" I asked, getting off of my horse.

"It's about Gabriella."

_Oh God_. "What's going on? Has something happened?"

"In a sense, yes."

_Oh dear God_. "What!?"

"Just get to the infermary as fast as you can."

As the assassin turned around to run away, I shouted, "Why is Gabriella in the infermary!?"

"She's gone into labor!"

"Oh hell..."

In an instant, my feet were flying out from underneath my feet and I was hauling my ass towards the Bureau. The other assassins would take one look at me, with my hood down, and quickly step out of my way. I ran into the Bureau and into Malik.

"Hey! Fenice! Where's...?" Malik asked, only to get out of my way.

"No time! Will explain later!" I shouted, running past him.

It seemed to take forever to get to the infermary. I had barely made it up the stairs and caught my breath before a bunch of nurses started yelling at me about how if I needed care, that I had to go to the other side of the Bureau.

"We have...important...business to attend to here."

"No, wait, you don't understand, my wife is in there!" I shouted anxiously.

The nurse's jaw dropped, but quickly moved out of the way. I ran in and found Gabriella sleeping on one of the beds.

"Did you want to see her?" A nurse asked me.

"See who?"

"Your daughter."

_What?_

I looked at Gabriella, worried, and the nurse replied, "She's exhausted. Fell asleep within minutes."

I walked over and ran my fingers through her hair. "I really wish I was here..." I muttered, pulling my hand away and looking down at the floor.

"Um...sir?"

I looked at a second nurse that had walked in. She had something wrapped in a blanket. "Is that..."

The nurse nodded. "Aye."

I sighed and stood up. "Let me see her."

The nurse walked over to me, making sure to avoid anything that was on the floor. As I took the baby from the nurse, she announced, "She needs a name. Tradition says the father names the children."

"Is that so?"

"Aye."

I dug around in my brain. This was something Gabriella and I never got around to talking about. _Her mother. For sure, she'd like her to be named after her mother, but I never really knew my mother's name_. I looked at Gabriella, who was still sleeping in her bed. I looked down at the baby in my arms.

She was rather big for most babies. There was a bit of black fuzz on her head and she had a set of grey eyes, something my mother told me all babies had when they were born. I envisioned her to grow up to be strong, just like her mother.

I glanced at Gabriella then at the baby again. I knew what I was going to name her.


	10. Epilouge

**Epilogue**

"Daddy! I wanna go outside!"

I sighed and looked down at the five-year-old tugging at the hem of my robes. Her dirty blonde hair, which was almost brown, fell to her shoulders and was curled at the ends. She stared up at me solemnly with her gold colored eyes. With the lighting, however, they appeared brown. She had Gabriella's build, hair color, and skin tone, but my eye color and personality. I looked out at the rainstorm and looked back down at her. "I'm sorry, but the weather's not nice enough. Wait until the storm blows over, okay?"

"Okay." She replied with a tone of sadness in her voice.

I always knew that being a parent would be tough, even at the start. The little girl tugging at my robes was more than just a little girl. She was my daughter, her mother being Gabriella. We christened her Gabriella Anna de Russo, but we call her Bree, just to avoid confusion.

Bree spun in circles, the skirt of her red dress spinning with the momentum. "I bored!"

"Why don't you see if Uncle Altair will play with you?" I asked.

"Because. Uncle Altar has work to do!" Bree replied matter-of-factly. She never could pronounce Master Altair's name right, so she refers to him as Uncle Altar. Oddly enough, he's okay with it. "And I wanna play with Mommy!" She stopped spinning, wobbling slightly, and asked, "When will Mommy come home from Gramma and Grampa's?"

Gabriella was on a mission in Acre. She left about a week ago, so she should be home any day now. Since Bree came along, Gabriella and I have been taking turns staying home with her. I would go out on the missions for the first few months, giving Gabriella time to recuperate from the experience, and she made up for it once Master Altair had decided to keep me home for a while. "I don't know, Bree."

The dinner bell started to ring. Bree's face lit up as she danced around our room in the Bureau before deciding to dart down the stairs.

"Bree, wait for Daddy!" I called out.

I heard Bree scream. I couldn't catch the tone in her scream, but I did hear her cry, "Daddy! Daddy!"

I whipped out my hidden blade, thinking either Bree fell down the stairs or someone was trying to hurt her. I felt the hem of my robe fly behind me and my feet practically found their own way down the stairs.

"Fenice, put your hidden blade away." An all too familiar voice commanded.

Seeing Master Altair standing there, in his traditional Master Assassin robes, I felt my hidden blade slide back into its sheath. He had Bree on his waist and his son was tailing along behind him. "My apologies, Master, I thought you were "

"No need to apologize, Fenice." Master Altair replied as Bree leaned towards me, her arms outstretched. As I gently pulled her out of Master Altair's arms and put her on my own waist, Altair asked, "No sign of Gabriella yet?"

"I'm right here!" Bree replied, her arms wrapped around my neck.

"Not yet. I have a feeling she got caught in the storm." I replied.

Lightning flashed. Bree buried her head in my shoulder when the thunder let out a loud crack. "I hope not." Master Altair replied, looking down at his son, who did not appear to be dazed by the storm. I couldn't remember his son's name to save my life!

"My apologies, Master!" Eagle shouted, running down the hall. Bree looked up as Eagle skid to a halt in front of us, soaked from head to toe. "Mistress Gabriella is at the stables, requesting entry to Masyaf. She wants Fenice to bring young Gabriella with him."

This was the news I had been waiting for so long to hear. I flipped my hood up, with Bree's arms still wrapped around my neck, and reached for Bree's blanket, which served as her coat. She wrapped herself in it, smiling. "Mommy's home."

"Yes. Yes she is." I replied just before making a beeline for the gate.

Gabriella was indeed happy to see Bree and I, and even happier to see that we were safe. As Gabriella took Bree from my arms and held her in hers, I smiled and gave Gabriella a quick kiss. A smile formed. We were a family, and we were assassins.

**Author's Note: And that's that! I hope you guys enjoyed the story, because this is it! The end, game over, el fin, capish!**

**I want to personally thank all of you who reviewed (even though it was only nekozawa11 and Lady Madbeth who reviewed) and to all of you future reviewers! I also wanna give a thanks to nekozawa11 for allowing me to use her character for this story! You rock chicka!**

**Peace out!**

**-Sorafi Lynn**


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